Life is just a stage for this teacher

Teacher Feature – Ms. Beeson: Theater Arts

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Ms. Beeson makes connections with her students.

While Ms. Sheena Beeson started teaching English and Theatre at Armijo eight years ago, things have changed a little. “Now I teach Theatre and Dance,” she said. “I also taught at Benicia Middle School during my credential program, but this is the only campus I have taught on as a fully credentialed teacher.” She herself was a graduate from Benicia High School.

Ms. Beeson earned her Bachelor of Arts in Theatre from Cal State University Northridge. She went on to get her teaching credential and Masters of Education at Touro University on Mare Island. Since her first performances at the age of three, she has enjoyed singing, dancing and acting. She also likes to cook, play with her dog, and watch movies and TV shows. “Spending time with friends and traveling are also high on my list. And I make the occasional TikTok,” said Ms. Beeson.

“My first ever tax paying job was at Coldstone and you better believe I sang for my tips,” she said. “I also did a lot of babysitting and nannying and I taught in a 2-year old preschool class for two years before I started my credential program and after college.”

In the first few years of teaching at Armijo, Ms. Beeson had opportunities to move to other school districts and, for one reason or another, they didn’t work out and for that she is grateful. “I love my community and my students here,” she said.

Ms. Beeson has always loved learning and helping people learn and since theatre has always been a passion of hers, it was natural that she would find herself teaching it. “I started performing when I was three,” she said, “so teaching performing arts just seemed like the perfect path for keeping that as a part of my life while also enjoying the stability of a rewarding career.”

That rewarding career was challenged with COVID. “It made me stiff. So much sitting!” she said. The main challenge she faced was creating the relationships she normally has with her students when she knows them face-to-face and day-to-day. “I still did but it was a very different kind of relationship being entirely online.  I will say it was nice to have a 30 second commute though.”

Teaching “is a wonderful career choice, but it is important that you are passionate about the subject you are teaching and that you have patience for days,” she said. “Also, have granola bars handy.”

Ms. Beeson has a lot of support from her family. “I have an amazing mother who I live with in Benicia,” she said. “I have one sister, who is six years younger than I, and three step-siblings who are all older. All my siblings live out of state but we try to see each other at least once a year at family gatherings. My amazing dad and stepmom just moved from California up to Washington… And I have an amazing boyfriend of six years who just this semester started teaching film at the collegiate level and I’m very proud of him.” She planned to spend the Christmas holidays visiting her family in Washington.

“And one more thing,” she said. “Follow our extracurricular theatre program on social media so you can support my community! (@armijotheatre)”